Automobile jack



Sept- 2, 1952 G. E. HUGHES 2,609,177

AUTOMOBILE JACK Filed Dec. l5, 1948 :Snvcntor @eo/ye f Huy/765 PatentedSept. 2, 1952 UNITED STATES f PATENT orrlcr.v

,I i y l 2,609,177

' "lino.TolvroBILEvJACK'v George E. Hughes, Kansas City, Mo. ApplicatinDecember 15, 1948, serial No. 65,314

when raising the automobile.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide acollapsible member adapted to be inflated with a fluid medium to expandthe same, which when placed under the frameor bumper ofl an automobilewill raisea wheel l iclaim'. (01.254-93) thereof rfrom the ground; toprovide the Ewalls of said body member with suiiicient rigiditytowithstand the strain of the pressure medium inside the body member; toprovide a body having two compartments; to provide means for admittingfluid to the respective compartments; to provide the compartments Vwithiniiatable bags or tubes to provide the top of the body member withmeans for engaging the vehicle; to provide a base for the body'memb'erso as to aid in preventing tipping of the device,fand"to provide aAdevice ofthis character simple, economical to fmanufacture and efficientin operation.

in accomplishing these and other objects of the present invention, Ihave provided improved details of structure,r the preferred forms ofwhich are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of my lifting device placed under anautomobile for raising the wheel thereof.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the device with parts broken away tobetter illustrate the invention.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device shown in collapsed position.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View of one end of the device and theretaining rings.

Fig. 5 is a modied form of invention showing the two compartments withthe inflatable bags or tubes therein and parts broken away to betterillustrate the invention.

Referring more in detail to the drawings.

I designates a jack embodying the features of my invention adapted forengaging under the axle 2 of a motor vehicle 3. The device consists of ahousing comprising, an exterior sheet of fabric material such as canvasor the like 4 and rigidly sealed on the inner side of which is a rubberor plastic material 5 forming a bellowslike covering for the housing.The housing has a top end 6, a bottom 'I and an intermediate `partition8 forming compartments 9 and Il] in the body of the housing. The outerperimeters of the top E, bottom 1 and partition 8 are grooved asindicatedv at II (Fig. 2)y the.top, bottom and partition are preferablymade of wood, aluminum or other lightweight material.

yThe top and lbottom of the covering 4, forming the `housing are securedto the top 6 and bottom 1. by rings IZand I3 adapted to engage overthecovering (I and press the same into the groove .II of thetop andbottom, to form an air-tight structure thereby. Also adapted to engagearound-the .partition 8 is a ring I4 on the outside `0f hdveling 4 topress the covering inthe groove II ofthe partition to hold the partitionrigidly inplace and also to form the two compartments in the housing.

. 4The rings I2, I3, and I4 are preferably made of rodlike material andhave one end turned laterally and flattened as illustrated at l5 (Fig.2), yand the opposite end is turned laterally as indicated at I6 andthence parallel with the body of the rods and extends through an openingIl in the flattened portion I5 and is provided with threads adaptedtorreceive a nut I8 to tighten the rings on the body of the' device.

Secured to the top 6 of the housing by any suitable means such asadhesive or screws or the like (not shown) is a plate I9 having aV-shaped groove 20 in the top surface thereof adapted to engage the partof the automobile under which the jack is placed so as to avoid slippingof the vehicle from the jack when in operation.

A uid, such as air, is admitted to the respective compartments 9 and Inof the housing through a valve 2I seated in a substantially U- shapedtubular member 22 having its respective ends leading to the compartments9 and III and sealed in the walls of the covering material 4 asindicated 23 (Fig. 2).

Operation of the device constructed and assembled as described is asfollows:

The housing in deflated condition as shown in Fig. 3 may be placed underthe part of the automobile desired'to be raised and uid, such as air, isforced into the respective compartments of the housing through valve 2 Ito thus expand the housing longitudinally to raise the automobile asillustrated in Fig. 1. An ordinary tire pump 2d having its hose 25attached to the valve 2| may be used for forcing the air into the jackto inflate the same. Other fluid pressure may be supplied to the jackfrom any suitable source without departing from the spirit of myinvention. When it is desired to remove the jack from underneath thevehicle the hose 25 is disconnected from the valve and the iiuidexhausted from the housing so the same will deflate or collapse somewhatin the form of a bellows or accordion-like structure as illustrated inFig. 3.

In Fig. 5 there is shown a modified form of housing which comprises abellows of fabric material such as canvas or the like 26, top 21, bottom28 and partition 29 having grooves 30 formed in their outer perimeterthe same as in the preferred form of the invention, and rings 3l, 32 and33 provided for engagement around the top, bottom and partitionrespectively also is in the preferred form of invention to formcompartments 34 and 35 in the housing of the device.

Flexible rubber tubes or bags 36 and 31 areV provided for fitting withinthe compartments 34 and 35 and are loosely applied therein. A valve 38having a U-shaped tube 39 with its ends passing through the cover 26,has its ends sealed to the respective tubes 36 and 31 for supplyingfluid to the respective tubes for extending the body member or housingasin the preferred form of invention. It will be obvious that any kindof impermeable material may be utilized for the tubes or bags; as wellas the covering material in the preferred form of the invention.Operation of this -form of device'is substantially the same as thatshown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive wherein when the air is admitted to therespective tubes the housing or body will be inflated longitudinally toraise the vehicle and when the air is exhausted therefrom the tubes willbe collapsed in the form of a bellows or accordion-like structure asindicated at 49 ,(Fig. 5) so that the device will be collapsed to asmall structure.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that I have provided an improvedcollapsible jack for raising objects, such as motor vehicles orthe like,which may be collapsed and packed into small condition to require littleroom in transportation and a device which will supporta vehicle in rigidposition, and particularly with one wheel thereof off the ground willtend to prevent movement of the automobile forwardly or backwardly dueto the substantial base of the lifting device.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

A pneumatic lifting device for a vehicle and the like comprising, acircular base having a groove around the periphery thereof, a normallycollapsed expansible bellows of substantially nonresilient fabric havingone end engaging the periphery of said base, means surrounding said oneend of the bellows and fitting in the groove of the base to secure thebellows thereto, a circular top member of substantially the samediameter as the base and having a groove around the periphery thereofand engaged with the other end of the bellows, means surrounding saidother end of the bellows and fitting in the groove of the top .member tosecure the bellows thereto, means on the top member for engagingportions of a vehicle to be lifted and retain same against relativelateral movement, rigid means secured in the bellows between the baseand top member and forming a plurality of compartments therebetween, airretaining bags of impermeable resilient material within eachcompartment, and means for supplying air under pressure simultaneouslyto the bags for expanding same and extending the bellows to lift avehicle, said bellows and bags being adapted to be collapsed into anaccordionlike structure when the air pressure is released from the bagsfor removing the device from under the vehicle. f

GEORGE E. HUGHES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 184,461 Cooper Nov. 21', 1876954,239 Wylie Apr. 5, 1910 1,745,959 Steiner Feb. 4, 1930 1,986,273Leflngwell' Jan. 1, 1935 2,001,744 Patterson May 21, 1935 2,328,970Farguhar Sept. 7, 1943 2,361,832 Eyles Oct, 21, 1944 2,377,170 MorganMay 29, 1945 2,467,883 Edwards Apr. 19, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 622,540 Germany Nov. 30, 1935

